


Holidays Not as Planned

by LovingAlex



Series: Domestic AF [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Holidays, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Poor Arthur, Stubborn Merlin, Thanksgiving Dinner, Thanksgiving is stressful on moms, bad timing, even tho its may, let's give them a lil love on the holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 04:32:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18909625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovingAlex/pseuds/LovingAlex
Summary: Arthur decides to have horrible timing. Asking an important question while Merlin is too busy trying to cook Thanksgiving dinner.Merlin isn't impressed.





	Holidays Not as Planned

**Author's Note:**

> I had this all planned out with an outline and such…. Then after I wrote it it was So. Short. Like, 500 and change words. It wouldn’t’ve fit the series. So far all of them have been around 1,200. In other words, I had to go back and I added pretty much the whole last two thirds of this from the fly. At least I’m happy with the results. UwU

"This is probably a bad time, but marry me?"

 

Merlin freezes.

 

He slowly turns to Arthur with a blank face.  

 

The blond starts rambling, “I don’t know. I know it’s not a good time, it just popped into my head and I just thought that it was a great idea and--” 

 

“You son of a bitch.”

 

There’s a pause. Sounds from the dining room filter into the kitchen. It’s a hectic Thanksgiving evening at Merlin’s mother’s. Merlin is running around like a chicken with his head cut off trying to get everything together while letting his mom get a rest from hosting and cooking… and Arthur does this  _ NOW _ !? Merlin had just placed a strainer in the sink for the noodles that were done and Arthur just  _ blurts shit out randomly _ .

 

“.........That was not an answer I was expecting…” the blond finally mumbles after the moment of awkward silence.

 

"No. No-no-no-no-no. I planned out this super romantic proposal and you just ruined all of it by beating me to it!" Merlin grabs the mixing spoon he was using for the noodles, waggling it threateningly at his boyfriend. 

 

Arthur blinks down at the spoon with a raised brow, then looks back to Merlin. “Really?’

 

“Yes! You dollophead! I had all these ideas and plans and you just blab it out while I’m trying to get things together for dinner! You didn’t even get down on a knee!” He makes a big gesture with both of his hands, motioning to the floor like it’s some sort of prize on a game show. Then he goes back to using the spoon to get his point across. He jabs Arthur in the chest with it as if it’s a condescending finger. “No. Try again!” 

 

With that, Merlin goes back to the noodles for the cream of chicken noodles and drains them in the strainer he set up. The steam from the boiling water bellows up around him and a few splashes just nearly miss him as they land on the edge of the sink.

 

“What? What do you mean  _ try again _ !?”

 

“You heard me! I’m not gonna say yes until you come up with something better than that! And it better be something good cause now I gotta cancel and return a bunch of stuff!” Merlin explains, stepping around Arthur as he rushes around to plate the last side dishes while the noodles drain. The gravy/dressing/sauce/ whatever you can call it for the noodles is done and ready to be mixed in as soon as the noodles are complete.

 

“You’re being unreasonable!” Arthur complains.

 

“No, I’m not. Back to the drawing board with you!” He shoos the man, flapping both hands at him. He grabs the noodles and finishes them quickly. Then he scrapes them into one of the ceramic serving bowls that looks similar to a large goblet. While Arthur trips to find an argument, Merlin grabs the last finished dishes and clambers to the dining room where their guests are waiting. 

 

Arthur sputters aloud to the now empty kitchen. A moment passes of just him standing alone, being left behind to stew and process.

 

Finally, he grumbles to himself and heads into the dining room to join the others. It was Thanksgiving and he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to be the one to carve the turkey.

 

Merlin picks up the carving knife, but before he can do anything, Arthur snatches it from behind. “Sit down you dummy,  _ I’m _ carving this bird.” With a huff, Merlin sits down at his place across from his mother. 

 

Once Arthur is done and everyone has gotten their plates filled to the brim, Hunith tells them to all link hands so she can give a little prayer.

 

Merlin automatically grabs Arthur’s hand to his right and Will’s to his left. The religious connotation to this holiday and Christmas has always made the man squirm. He didn’t know why, but talking Christianity and religion always gave him a weird feeling. Like an itch. An itch in the back of his soul saying “No, that doesn’t seem right, that’s not natural.” As if there’s supposed to be a different thing there instead. 

 

But he just gives his mom a small smile and gives Arthur’s hand a little squeeze to ground himself. Arthur knows of his discomfort, but he asked him not to tell. No use worrying or upsetting his mom over something so meaningless.

 

Hunith does the usual thanks for everything, then she goes on to thank Merlin for taking over. Before he showed up, his mother was running around, stressed out and frazzled. Merlin had to physically drag her out of the kitchen and push her down into a chair to relax. 

 

A smile graces his face at the memory of her reaction.

 

Arthur had arrived before the others and helped with the out-of-kitchen preparations since he couldn’t cook worth a dime. Hunith also makes sure to thank the blond for that.

 

Having said everything she wanted to, she finished the prayer. If it could be called that. Merlin never understood why it was, didn’t sound anything like one. Another reason why he steered clear of such things.

 

The group dug in, sending compliments all around about the amazing food and the pretty dishware. This was the first year they were using it. Merlin had gotten it for his mother earlier on in the year. It was quite an expensive set, but he found it at a second hand store for dirt cheap. He was quite proud of himself for it. Paid less for the whole set than the normal cost for  _ one _ dish.

 

All in all, dinner was a great success. They all talked and hung out afterwards, played cards, drank a little, the usual deal.

 

Arthur and Merlin were the last one so leave, having stayed back in order to help clean up. Hunith argued that she should clean up since it was the boys who had made everything. That it was only fair if she did. But the boys had none of it, sending her to the living room once again.

 

As the two make to leave, Arthur goes ahead of Merlin, stopping at the bottom of the front steps while Merlin hugged his mother goodbye at the door.

 

They finally separated and Hunith went inside. As Merlin comes down the steps, Arthur stops him on the second step to the bottom. 

 

“I’ve been giving what happened earlier some thought,”

 

“That explains the steam coming from your ears”

 

“Shut up Merlin, let me speak.” 

 

Merlin raises a brow in challenge and invitation to continue.

 

Arthur takes Merlin’s left hand and holds it in both of his. “You know I’m not really one to plan things out. At least on my own. I’m always needing you to help things go right….” He isn’t meeting Merlin’s gaze and Merlin has a hunch about where this is going. 

 

Arthur kisses the back of Merlin’s hand and throws him for a loop. The blond has  _ never  _ done anything like  _ that  _ before.

 

“I know you wanted this to be all big and flashy and romantic, but I’m not really the best man to set that up.” He gets down on one knee, head tilted back to meet Merlin’s eyes. 

 

“Merlin, I… I love you. I know we’ve already been together for quite some time, but I’d like to make this be forever. Officially and legally binding us together, heart and soul.”

 

A smile pulls at the edges of Merlin’s lips, “Arthur, you can stop waxing poetry now, just ask me already.”

 

He gives a quick pout for Merlin’s cheekiness, but continues normally. “Merlin, will you marry me?”

 

Said man yanks Arthur to his feet and pulls him into a passionate kiss. “That’s much better,” he chuckles against the blond’s lips.

 

“Just answer the damn question, Merlin,”

 

“Yes, Arthur, I’ll marry you.”

 

“Good.”

  
They kiss one more time before heading home to...  _ celebrate _ .

**Author's Note:**

> Wheewwww, so far I’ve been able to post one of these every two weeks. The popularity of Sore Losers Never Last Long and Misadventures of Sharing a Bed has floored me!! In just two weeks, Sore Losers has skyrocketed to the second most kudos’d story I have, with Misadventures steadily making it’s way higher (rn it’s 4th highest). Misadventures also has the 4th most bookmarks!! 
> 
> I gotta say, I’m so amazing and flattered and thankful to everyone <3  
> Please leave a comment and tell me what all everyone likes about these. I’d love to hear yinz’ opinions!


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